The General Department of Vietnam Customs has developed a draft plan on IT use for 2021-2025. The most important issues that are set out in this period are IT application for customs operation, the deployment of e-Government, and the application of technology of the Industrial Revolution 4.0.

The Customs sector’s acceleration of IT application has facilitated
people and businesses to implement customs procedures. Photo: T.B

For 2021-2025, all customs operations such as customs management supervision, import and export tax collection, post-customs clearance audit, risk management, anti-smuggling, customs verification, legislation are computerised and automated through the redesign of the Customs IT system.

The new IT system has new achievements in technology, and meets international standards and smart administration requirements; comprehensively manages businesses, import and export and transit goods, exit, entry and transit means of transport from the first to the final stage. The system can integrate, connect and share information with ministries, sectors and businesses via the National Single Window, and exchange customs data with countries in the region and in the world, building a digital Vietnam Customs.

Regarding online public services, 80% of online public services are provided at level 4 for people and businesses with many different devices for access, including mobile devices.

In this period, the Customs sector will build a mobile platform and expand the WebPlatform to provide online public services and information on the Customs portal, serving people and businesses in the process of customs clearance. Customs will apply artificial intelligence to focus on the user experience and provide utilities through user self-recognition, automatically classifying content channels, voice interactions, collecting and storing behaviour and habits of users to intelligently provide content, identify and authenticate.

In addition, it will develop and implement APIs to provide online public services to people and businesses and connecting with concerned parties to meet management requirements and implementing customs procedures for businesses and people such as supporting in carrying out customs procedures, providing information for management and operation of businesses, connecting and exchanging data, integrating functions with the national database and system developed by the Government, ministries and sectors.

The Customs also focuses on connecting, integrating and sharing data with the direction and administration system of the Ministry of Finance and the Government's reporting information system.

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, before applying the new system, the Customs sector has operated stably, ensuring security and safety of current IT systems to not disrupt customs operations. At the same time, it builds plans, processes and tools for supervision, operation and monitoring of the system’s operation, documents processes and procedures of documents of IT systems.